A POSITIVE meaning is being given to the term "booze-fuelled" as illegal alcohol is turned into electricity in Derbyshire.

Before Christmas, a huge amount of illicit alcohol was seized across the city.

After successful legal action, trading standards were then left with the problem of how to dispose of it all.

More than 700 litres of counterfeit alcohol, which is contaminated with a concoction of industrial chemicals, is now being turned into electricity for the national grid thanks to the Severn Trent works in Alfreton.

The alcohol, which includes whisky, vodka, gin and rum, is not fit for human consumption and cannot legally be poured into the sewerage system.

Vicky Levine, customer operations manager for Severn Trent in Derby, said: "We are going to put the alcohol in our digester plant. The digesters generate methane that is then turned into electricity that gets fed into the national grid. The alcohol will aid and improve this process. It's a really good feeling to be able to help out trading standards in this way."

Doug Walkman, trading standards team leader, said: "It's great that we can now see these products used to benefit the environment and people, rather than harm them. Those responsible for bringing this illegal alcohol into Derby could never have foreseen that it would be put to a good cause."